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Medical marijuana dispensary licenses blocked in Alabama amid dispute over selection process

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A judge temporarily blocked Alabama from issuing licenses to medical marijuana dispensaries amid an ongoing legal battle over how the state selected the winning companies. Montgomery Circuit Judge James Anderson issued a temporary restraining order late Thursday to stop the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission from issuing licenses to the four dispensaries. The licenses will be on hold while he hears a challenge to the selection process. The court order is the latest development in an ongoing legal battle that has plagued the start of Alabama’s medical marijuana program. Alabama lawmakers voted to allow medical marijuana in the state in 2021. Commission officials are aiming to make the products available in 2024 after a series of delays. The ruling affects only the dispensaries. Brittany Peters, a spokeswoman for the commission, said Friday that the commission has issued licenses to other companies that were selected to cultivate, transport, and test mar...

Pair of former Detroit Tigers scouts sue team alleging age discrimination

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

DETROIT (AP) — A pair of former Detroit Tigers scouts sued the team, alleging age discrimination over their terminations after the 2020 season.Gary Pellant and Randall Johnson filed the suit Thursday in U.S. District Court in Detroit, claiming a shift toward analytics was accompanied by a “false stereotype” that older scouts lacked acumen for newer scouting tools.They claim wrongful termination and post-termination employment interference in violation of the Age Discrimination and Enforcement Act of 1967 and violations of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, a Michigan law that took effect in 1977. They also alleged disparate treatment age discrimination and/or disparate impact age discrimination in violation of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.They asked for back pay, front pay and compensatory and punitive damages.The Tigers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Seventeen former Major League Baseball scouts sued the league, its teams and Commissioner Rob Manfred ...

Florida woman sues Hershey's over Reese’s candy without faces

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) -- A Florida woman filed a hefty class-action lawsuit against The Hershey Company, claiming the chocolate maker used "false and deceptive advertising" for its Reese's candies. According to court documents, Cynthia Kelly is suing Hershey's "on behalf of herself and all other similarly situated individuals who purchased a Reese's Peanut Butter product based on false and deceptive advertising."The complaint, filed on Thursday in Florida's Middle District Court, alleges that Hershey's violated Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.The issue is not how they taste, but how they look. In the lawsuit, Kelly claimed the Reese's Peanut Butter products were "falsely" represented as "containing explicit carved out artistic designs when there are no such carvings in the actual products."According to the suit, Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins are depicted in the label as having carved-out eyes and a mouth to resemble a jack-o-lantern. But the actual pro...

AMC apologizes to civil rights leader kicked out of 'The Color Purple' screening

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

(The Hill) — AMC Theatres has apologized to North Carolina civil rights leader Rev. William Barber after he was not allowed to use his own chair at a screening of “The Color Purple.”Barber, the former chair of the North Carolina NAACP, suffers from ankylosing spondylitis, a type of arthritis that requires him to use a cane and prevents him from sitting in low-bottomed seats. Barber, who attended the Tuesday screening in Greenville with his 90-year-old mother, was told he could not place his own chair in the section of the theater reserved for disabled customers. Theater management called the Greenville Police, who said that Barber left voluntarily after they arrived and spoke with him. Symptoms of RSV, strep, flu, COVID: How to tell them apart He told local station WNCT that there was no signage indicating the chair would not be allowed, and that he has brought his own chair to numerous other venues without incident.“[W]hether I’m on Broadway, the White House, the S...

Oswego man charged in connection with South Side shooting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

CHICAGO — Charges have been filed against an Oswego man accused of shooting another man in the face during a fight on Wednesday night.According to Chicago police, 21-year-old Quijuan Waters has been charged with attempted first-degree murder in connection with the shooting, which left the 24-year-old man critically injured. Residents rescued during North Side high-rise fire; 2 hospitalized Authorities say the shooting unfolded just before 11:30 p.m. in the 5600 block of South Michigan Avenue.Officers say Waters and the victim got into a fight in the area before Waters allegedly pulled out a gun and shot the victim in the face. The victim was then transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Body found in suburbs concludes search for missing St. Louis mother; ex-boyfriend charged with murder According to police, Waters was located by officers less than 15 minutes later in the 5600 block of South Wabash Avenue and taken into custody.Waters appeared in court on Friday fo...

APD: Man dies after being attacked, beaten in north Austin earlier this week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department said it's investigating a man's death as a homicide after police say he was beaten and attacked in north Austin on Dec. 26. The victim was identified as Hector Diaz-Esparza, 28, according to a release APD put out Friday. His death is Austin's 73rd homicide of 2023, according to the department. APD said officers responded to a check welfare call at 1708 W. Braker Lane on Dec. 26. The caller said a man, who was bleeding and not responding, was lying on the ground in an alley. Once officers got there, APD said they found the man, later identified as Diaz-Esparza, with "visible injuries." Medics tried to revive him, but APD said Diaz-Esparza was pronounced dead at 6:06 a.m. Homicide Unit and Crime Scene specialists were called to investigate what happened. APD said it was determined the victim had been attacked by unidentified people who fled the scene.Police said Diaz-Esparza also had clear signs of physical assault "and appeared to have be...

APD arrests teen in fatal northeast Austin crash involving bicyclist

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

Editor’s note: The above video shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Friday, Dec. 29, 2023.AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Police arrested a teen in connection with a Dec. 12 fatal crash that killed a bicyclist in northeast Austin.APD said 19-year-old Alexis Acevedo was charged with possession of a controlled substance and failure to stop and render aid.Mugshot of Alexis Acevedo | APD photoAt approximately 1:30 a.m. Dec. 12, APD officers responded to a crash involving two vehicles and a bicycle in the 5600 block of East Parmer Lane. The bicyclist, later identified as 31-year-old Ashton Hutchison, died on the scene, according to police.APD said one of the drivers stayed on the scene and was cooperating with the investigation, but the other driver, later identified as Acevedo, left the scene.Travis County jail records show Acevedo was booked Dec. 12 and held on bonds totaling $60,000.Police said the crash is being investigated as Austin's 87th fatal crash of 2023.

New year, same you: Start listening to books

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Details.You don’t have time to read, so start listening to booksIt’s a familiar refrain: “I don’t have time.” It’s the sad but true consequence of how busy life can get, and it doesn’t help that reading isn’t something you can multitask. Or maybe, you can multitask… if you try listening to books during other activities. Listening to books brings with it more benefits than just the ability to multitask, including being a great way to take in those stories for people who don’t like the usual act of reading. No matter your situation, here’s what you need to know about slipping in some listening time so you have more of what you love in your life.Essential gadgets for making cooking easier in the new year Benefits of audiobooksSwitching from the page to the eardrums offers more than a few changes to the experience of taking in the written...

Pfizer wants Texas AG lawsuit over vaccine moved out of Lubbock court

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

LUBBOCK, Texas — A lawsuit against Pfizer filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the 99th Judicial Court for Lubbock County was requested to be moved to the federal district court, according to court documents obtained by EverythingLubbock.com.Federal court records showed Pfizer filed a notice of removal on Dec. 28, which stated the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas should have jurisdiction. EverythingLubbock.com's Austin Bureau previously reported Paxton filed the lawsuit at the end of November, claiming Pfizer "intentionally misrepresented the efficacy of its COVID-19 vaccine" and violated the Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Paxton's petition called the vaccines "the miracle that wasn't" and alleged Pfizer gave Americans the impression its vaccine would "end the coronavirus." "However, the pandemic did not end; it got worse," the Attorney General's petition stated. Paxton's office said the vaccine was not 95% effective and requested Pfizer be or...

How can the Timberwolves’ offense improve? It starts with the decision-making of their two top scorers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:45:12 GMT

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was clearly irked with his team’s offense after its 22-turnover performance in a win Thursday over short-handed Dallas.Specifically, he was annoyed with the play of his two most-skilled offensive players — Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns.Edwards may seem like a confusing target of frustration given his 44-point outburst in the victory. But he had two strong offensive quarters — the first and the third. He committed three of his six turnovers in the second quarter and was 1 for 7 shooting in the fourth while jacking up a number of difficult jumpers while seemingly seeking out a higher point total.Over the final three quarters, Edwards had four turnovers to one assist.Towns, meanwhile, wasn’t involved in the early offensive action and tried to force his way into the fold by driving into no man’s land, which led to missed shots and offensive fouls. Towns had more turnovers (five) than made shots (three).“I think everyone at ...